Sunny, clear skies, eighty degree weather...it was the
perfect day to walk along Chicago Avenue to visit the Museum of Contemporary
Art to view its current exhibitions (I put emphasis on ‘’perfect’’ because
there’s free admission on Tuesdays).
BMO
Harris Bank Chicago Works features art by mix media artist,
José Lerma. José Lerma conveys the connections between painting and history.
His installations presented nontraditional materials such as backdrop paper,
carpet, and a mirror as a canvas. The
usage of nontraditional materials support Lerma’s way of depicting forgotten
historic figures by using ‘’forgotten’’ objects. Audible elements were also
utilized created by canvases hitting keys of miniature keyboards in both his
pieces Portrait of Norman and John
and Midissage. The sound and usage of
cool-colored light gave the show a dream-like effect.
MCA
DNA: Chicago Conceptual Abstraction features artists Tony
Tasset, Gregory Green, Dan Peterman, Iñigo Manglano-Ovalle, and Mike Kelley,
and others. This exhibition helped me to comprehend the connection between
abstract and nature. Tony Tasset’s Domestic
Abstraction displays the imagery of cowhide, guiding the viewer to identify
shapes and forms within the work. I also concluded this idea from Iñigo
Manglano-Ovalle’s Twin. Gregory
Green’s Thirty One Blade Wall
Installation seems to focus on the idea of how humanity can be unaware or
unmoved towards the presence of violence when presented in a particular form or
manner. Focusing on the shape and arrangement of the saw blades dilutes the
alert of danger. The media is a prime
example of this.
The Homebodies
exhibition focuses on space within the home environment, featuring artists like
George Segal, Frank Halmans, Alberto Aguilar, Adrian Piper, Alexandre da Cunha,
Hurvin Anderson, Rachel Whiteread, Marina Abramović, Doug Aitken, Guy Ben-Ner, and
Martha Rosler. Although this exhibition didn’t greatly strike my interests,
there were some admirable works, such as Doug Aitken's HOUSE (i don't know). While viewing this piece, I developed
conflicting ideas: ‘’is the house being destroyed or built? Is the chaos of the
house being revived?’’ A viewer’s first assumption may be destruction, but the
artist’s intentions may be otherwise.
Modern
Cartoonist features the art of cartoonist, Daniel
Clowes. Although I was unable to attend the exhibition tour with the Museum’s
curator, Lynne Warren, this past Friday, I immediately understood the artist’s
character and intentions through his work. Clowes is best known for his
comic-series, graphic novels, screenplays, and magazine covers like Eight Ball, Death Ray, and Ghost World.
His humorous approaches of modern scenarios are personal, dark, and relatable,
like his one page comic series, Wilson.
I admired how he used himself as the subject to create visual memorials of
comical moments. It was enjoyable to hear viewers laughing and snickering
around me. His hilarious comic, Pussey,
also demonstrated relatable scenarios, though directed towards the challenges
of the comic-book industry. All jokes aside, Clowes displays the chronology of
Chicago’s comic history and the evolution of his sketches to a finish product.
These exhibitions were definitely worth traveling in
the scorching heat to see. View all these exhibitions before they end!
